Category: pinot noir

I’ve always been a fan of the wines from Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina for a long time.  I was first introduced to their wines when I was part of the South World Wine Society in Vancouver.  I did not know much about Argentina or Malbec, but I learned a lot as part of the Society. So it was a…

You may not realize it but winemakers tend to travel across Canada and the world to make wines.  In BC we do have winemakers from here, but there are many from New Zealand and also from the Niagara region in Ontario.  I had a chance to interview Steve Latchford, one of the winemakers at Okanagan Crush Pad, during the Vancouver…

With France being the theme country for the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2020, there were many more French wineries in attendance than in other years.  And with that many more wines to taste. Which made me very happy.  France has a great variety of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines, from the range of noble grape varieties.  I spent several…

Andrew Jefford is an English journalist, radio presenter, poet, magazine editor, a wine writer for Decanter magazine and much more. He lives near Montpellier in France. Why am I telling you this?  Andrew lead our French Terroir Talk during this seminar at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.  If there was anyone with the background knowledge of wine and experience of…

My first Masterclass at the Vancouver International Wine Festival 2020 was about the wines from the Languedoc region produced by Gérard Bertrand and moderated by Anthony Gismondi.  Gérard Bertrand is the ambassador of the fine wines of Languedoc-Roussillon around the world and owns 16 estates with their unique terroirs in the region.  The Languedoc has, in general, had a poor…

The Vancouver International Wine Festival always kicks off with their Bacchanalia Gala Dinner and Auction.  That great event happened on Saturday, Feb 22 and of course, it was a great success.  Below is the press release from the Festival about the event and the results of their auction.  Enjoy. ~~~ VANCOUVER, BC (February 24, 2020) — The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction,…

Crowsnest Vineyards is located near Cawston in the Similkameen Valley in south-central BC.  This valley is cooler-climate with the valley running east-west and a breeze that passes through it to help give the valley it’s character.  I was surprised that I had not tried their wines before or knew much about them, and regret it.  The winery was established in…

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon.  Sharing a bottle of sparkling wine with your significant other over a nice meal is always a nice way to go.  Here is a list of 9 sparkling wines that I tasted over the past year that are in the BC market (or available across the border) that I thought you may like to…

My third Dine Out Vancouver dinner was with good friends at Provence Marinaside in Yaletown.  Provence offers a $45 food menu plus $25 wine pairing, and it is totally worth it.  The food from Provence is top quality and a large portion.  I was very full and very happy at the end of my meal. We were treated with a glass…

Did you know that at the Festival Tasting room for the Vancouver International Wine Festival this year there will be 700 wines for you to try?  France is the theme country and there will be 42 French wineries pouring their wines for you.  This is very exciting as there will be wines from Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and more to…